Spaces of protest are not planned, they are claimed, writes Gautam Bhan

When the justices of the NGT say they are putting protest in its place (Ramlila grounds), they are following a rich tradition of spatial control.

by Gautam BhanOct 12, 20172 minutes

When I studied cities, one of the biggest debates centered on whether urban planning and design could create politics. Space, the argument went, wasn't just where things happened. It was more than that: particular things happened because of the space one designed. The classic example was the public square. Spaces that allowed the public to gather were the essence of democratic practice. Such gathering was not just